Image enhancing method for photographs,oil paintings,and water color paintings

ABSTRACT

The method of enhancing the quality of permanent images by the process of irradiating the image with electromagnetic ionizing radiations such as gamma and X-rays from a weak proximately located source.

United States Patent Max Jacobson 8 East 83rd St., New York, NY. 10028 649,866

June 29, 1967 Mar. 2, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented IMAGE ENHANCING METHOD FOR PHOTOGRAPHS, OIL PAINTINGS, AND WATER COLOR PAINTINGS (l), 65 (2), (Science Abstracts); 96/60, 48

[5 6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,094,619 6/ I 963 Grant, Jr 250/65 Primary ExaminerRalph G. NiIson Assistant Examiner-A. L. Birch Attorney-Hopgood and Calimafde ABSTRACT: The method of enhancing the quality of permanent images by the process of irradiating the image with electromagnetic ionizing radiations such as gamma and X-rays from a weak proximately located source. I

IMAGE ENHANCING METHOD FOR PHOTOGRAPHS, OIL PAINTINGS, AND WATER COLOR PAINTINGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While the inventive process has broad applications to pictorial images of all types including such diverse materials as printed matter, oils, and water colors, for the purposes of illustration, the disclosure which follows shall be directed primarily to photographic materials.

In the development of photographic images such as X-ray and other negative films, as well as positive black and white and color prints, the obtained detail and/or color contrast from a given exposure is determined by the number of exposed silver halide grains which have been reduced to metallic silver. In the case of coior, the metallic silver has associated dyes; however, the premise remains the same. That is, too energetic a reducing agent in the chemical developer will cause an overabundance of the exposed silver halide grains to be converted into silver thereby obscuring the image due to a rise in the general fog level of the film.

If, on the other hand, the chemical reducing agents are too weak, insufficient of the exposed halide grains will be reduced and a loss of contrast and detail will result. It is normal practice to err on the latter side so that even the most active of the conventional developers causes only a portion of the exposed silver halides to be reduced. Image optimization in terms of definition, contrast, and color balance, brilliance and saturation is seldom ever achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the invention is predicated upon the concept of irradiating the image to be enhanced by a proximately located source of gamma or X-rays (generically-electromagnetic ionizing radiations). Further enhancement is realized by: (a) the presence of a magnetic field; (b) drastic temperature variations; contemporaneous or subsequent infrared radiation; and (d) contemporaneous or subsequent ultrasonic vibration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION While various sources of X-rays and gamma rays are suitable for the invention process, a weak source of gamma radiation was found particularly effective both from the viewpoint of results achieved and the absence of physical hazards.

An exemplary source of the foregoing type may be obtained with uranium-doped glass rods exhibiting radiation magnitudes of the order of .52.0 milliroentgen. These rods are commercially available from Corning Glass Co. (6 mil glass @3320). The irradiating device may be simply formed by bundling a plurality of the rods (for example, between and 100) either cylindrically or in a single plane, and providing a soft overlay of felt to allow close tracking of the image without inadvertent scratching of the surface of the material carrying the image. If desired, the structure may be provided with a convenient handle.

It has been found that by passing the device described several times over an X-ray negative, a fully developed and It has been found that the effect may be further pronounced by introducing further steps or materials to the foregoing process. Thus, for example, the presence of a permanent magnet of the order of 100 to 1000 gauss behind the radiating fixed photographic negative, or a black and white or colored photographic print at a distance where the felt just brushes the material, that a considerable enhancement of the image takes place. The degree of enhancement is directly dependent upon the time presence of the radioactive source over the image, its distance and its magnitude. However, it has been found that regardless of the length of time (even with the described radioactive source maintained in proximity for a 12-hour period, resting on the image) no fogging or detrimental effects result. The process is thus self-optimizing in the sense that it will not overintensify the image. Results short of optimum require only a repetition of the process until no further improvement takes place.

source or the image was found to significantly affect the speed of change and the final result. Further, irradiation coupled with the contemporaneous or subsequent subjection of the image to infrared energy (e.g., an infrared light of 250 watts disposed about 1 foot away for 5 minutes) improved the picture quality and definition. Subjecting the image to temperatures in the neighborhood of liquid nitrogen and ultrasonic shocks performed in conjunction with the irradiation also improved the picture quality and further lent a greater degree of permanence to the process (in excess of a month). With photographic negatives, submergence of the negative in liquid nitrogen in the presence of a magnetic field of the order of several hundred gauss before development and prior to irradiation was found to reduce the grain in the final product. Further, the positioning of a rhodium coated mirror behind the radiating source (with the glass remote and coating proximate) produces faster and better results than with the radiating source alone.

With the forgoing process, the quality of all types of permanent images and in particular, the definition of the background and details -not theretofore apparent, were manifestly enhanced. With X-ray negatives, for example, after using the process, it was possible to observe soft tissue, such as lymph glands, which were not previously observable. Additionally, a greater depth perception was achieved because of the visual cues provided by the improved shadow detail. This latter effect obtained universally regardless of the type of material upon which the image was recorded.

In order to insure that the foregoing observations of increased contrast between black and white, between colors, and the appearance of detail not previously visible, were not the result of subjective deception on the part of the viewer, before and after materials were objectively analyzed by means of a Macbeth transmission and reflection densitometer.

Before and after readings on the densitometer clearly indicated changes of .4 in the density readings. This indicates a change of the order of four times the threshold of perception. The objective tests further showed that while magnetic treatment alone, infrared treatment alone, temperature changes alone, and ultrasonic vibration alone had no significant effects, subjecting the images to electromagnetic ionizing radiation (gamma and X-rays) did substantially affect the density readings which were further affected by the employment of these treatments in conjunction with ionizing radiation.

Standard photography wedges were also subjected to the process according to the invention and measurements taken before and after with the Macbeth densitometer. It was discovered that the process affected more greatly the density readings in the middle and high ranges, i.e., from .6 to 1.70 in the direction of increasing density while leaving the lower density readings unchanged. It was also found that combining the radiation with a magnetic field tended to weaken the effect that gamma rays had in the lower middle density regions, and restrict the effect to the high densities only. The addition of ultraviolet radiation to the combination caused the densities in the area of .6 to be reduced and the effect of the high densities to neutralize altogether. The strongest effect was discernible with the combination of the magnetic field, gamma radiation, and infrared. It is felt that it is this concentration of variation in the middle ranges which produces the greater contrast and hence the improvement in image quality.

One theory which supports the resultant effect of the foregoing process upon photographic materials is that the inventive process frees additional silver halide grains which were only partially developed by the conventional photographic development process and does so most in the middle density areas. In these middle density areas where some silver halides have been freed and others have not, the radiation and the additional treatment described develop additional silver halide grains and brings about an increased density. In color film, the halides are coupled with dyes and a similar process obtains which results in more intense colors.

The particular nature of the treatments involved and their various combinations give greater substantiation however to the theory that the phenomena is occurring on the basis of thermoluminescence. The effect of thermoluminescence consists of the emission of light by certain solid materials which can be observed when the material is heated in a dark place.A graph of light intensity vs. time during a uniform rate of heating shows peaks and intensity changes which are characteristic of the particular material. These graphs are known as glow curves and have been obtained for a large variety of substances.

It is an interesting characteristic that a material which exhibits thermoluminescence loses this property after repeated temperature cycling, so that on repeated applications of temperature, thermoluminescence disappears altogether. However, irradiation with gamma or X-ray radiation will restore the thermoluminescence properties. In addition, radiation by gamma rays adds additional peaks of luminescence at lower temperatures than existed prior to the treatment with gamma rays. Radiation with such rays produced thermoluminescence in some materials at room temperature, or lower.

It is theorized that the minerals employed in color printing and dyes as well as the crystals employed in the photographic process exhibit phenomena similar to thermoluminescence.

While it is possible that no actual luminescence takes place, the rearrangement of electron positions, which is the basis for the explanation for the thermoluminescent mechanism, is sufficient to alter the reflective or absorptive character of the material, thus changing its response to transmitted and reflected energy.

The currently accepted theory of thermoluminescence is that radiation with X-rays or gamma rays energizes electrons located in normally filled bands so that they change to a high energy conduction band moving through the crystal until they combine with a hole or an F center. These electrons remain trapped in these centers until an elevation in temperature of the crystal frees them and they move once more in the conduction band until they reach an emission center from where they lose energy by radiation and become fixed in the crystal at the point of the emission center. During the gradual increase in temperature, the high energy traps are emptied first, giving rise to the low-temperature peaks in the glow curves. The lower-energy electron traps become emptied at the higher temperatures, giving rise to the high-temperature peaks. The loss of thermoluminescence effects after repeated heating, which is restored by gamma ray irradiation, is explained by the absorption of energy by the displaced electrons while in their meta stable positions, or F centers.

While the principles of the invention have been described in connection with specific apparatus and steps, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.

For example, it has been found that wide variations in proximity and magnitude of the radiation source produce satisfactory results. Thus, while in the foregoing, a process employing a plurality ofrods having radiation parameters of the order of a few milliroentgens, disposed immediately adjacent the image, was described, it is also possible to employ sources in the tens or hundreds milliroentgen range whose proximity would be determined empirically. Intervening variations would naturally reflect the relationship between the intensity of radiation and proximity to image. Aside from the strength of the radiating source and its distance from the image, the overall effect is dependent upon the duration of source employment, the ambient temperature and the presence of other influencing factors such as those described and including incident light (natural or artificial).

Iclaim: l. The method of enhancing the quality of permanent images from the group consisting of photographic images, oil paintings, and water color paintings comprising the step of irradiating said image with a weak proximately located source of electromagnetic ionizing radiation.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of ir radiating is performed in the presence of a magnetic field.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of subjecting said image to infrared radiation.

4. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of ultrasonically vibrating said image.

5. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of subjecting said image to extreme temperature variatrons. 

2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of irradiating is performed in the presence of a magnetic field.
 3. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of subjecting said image to infrared radiation.
 4. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of ultrasonically vibrating said image.
 5. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of subjecting said image to extreme temperature variations. 